Come see Eric, Al, Bhagwan and special guest guitarist Dan Vogel at the Carroll Arts Council June 16, 2013 @ 3pm.  This concert is a tribute to Nat King Cole!Come hear all the hits like L.O.V.E., Stardust, Straighten Up and Fly Right and more!!!This has got Date Night, “love ya’ dad” and swinging music written all over it.  Come experience another dose of 21st Century Swing

JUNE 16, 2013 @ THE CARROLL COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL

91 W MAIN STREET WESTMINSTER, MD  21157

3PM

TICKETS ARE REQUIRED CALL 410.848.7272
Carroll County Arts Council

June 16th Fathers Day 2013

Purchasing Your Child’s First Electric Guitar

At B&B, we receive numerous calls from parents who are looking for advice on purchasing a guitar for their child.  We’ve written about the decision of whether electric or acoustic guitars are best.  We’ve also talked about nylon strings vs. steel strings.

Get Your Rock & Roll On!

Since electric guitars have lighter strings, they are a popular for younger children.

We took a trip to the local Guitar Center and found a few good deals to be had.  For instance, there is a Squire Mini Strat Electric Guitar for $99.   We also found a great ‘starter kit’ to compliment the guitar.  Be sure to call ahead in case they are out of stock because these are popular items these days!

Once you have made your Guitar Center purchase, give B&B a call and we’ll get your child studying with an expert instructor!

http://bnbmusiclessons.com/contact/

Amplifier Starter Kit Guitar Center

The Eric Byrd Trio Live Recording at Mid Atlantic Jazz Fest 2013

Attendees at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival witnessed history in the making on Friday, February 15 when the internationally renowned Eric Byrd Trio recorded its first-ever, live album. Thrilled to make his live album debut at the festival, Byrd called it a homecoming of sorts since he grew up attending the event’s past incarnation, the East Coast Jazz Festival, and knew that performing there would feel like playing for old friends.

If audience members weren’t personal friends of the trio before the show, they certainly felt like they were after. Byrd grinned and chuckled to himself even as his fingers thundered across the keys. Between songs, he involved the crowd, chatting cordially and cracking jokes. On the drums, Alphonso Young Jr.’s enthusiasm and passion were unparalleled. No matter the tune, his whole body got into the groove, rocking back and forth while he brushed away at the cymbals. And cool and composed bassist Bhagwan Khalsa stood adroitly plucking away, the perfect counter-balance to Young’s fervor.

And Khalsa was calm for good reason. Their set was masterful. Whether the band was jamming out to their adaptation of The Police’s dark and moody “Message in a Bottle” or throwing a little Latin flavor on the contemporary gospel church song, “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High,” the audience was transfixed. Everyone snapped and sang along to their jazzed-up take on the blues number, “Lonely Avenue.” The crowd quickly got carried away by the trio’s slow and easy “Makin’ Whoopee.” Every head bobbed to the beat; there wasn’t a soul sitting still in sight. And at the end of the number, fans are sad that it’s over. When Byrd announced that the band was down to its last two songs, somebody asked for ten.

It’s easy to see why everyone wants more. The Trio has range. They excel at making every song their own; their rendition of “Blessed Assurance” is fresh, freeing, and full of motion. And their original compositions are instantly engaging, like the contented and lilting “Love Letter to Lima.” With little more than a pause in between, they flawlessly jump from “Lonely Avenue” to “Makin’ Whoopee” to “Blessed Assurance” – three songs that run the gamut of styles and emotions – astutely showcasing their charm, relate-ability, and signature style with each one.

As their set closed, a woman unable to contain herself turned to the strangers seated behind her and gushed, “That was wonderful! I can’t wait for the CD!”

Everyone in earshot agreed.

Matt B. moves to Frederick!

Many of you may already know Matt B. He’s been one of our trusty, expert guitar instructors for years. And now, for all of you lucky Frederick County folks out there, we’re pleased to announce that he’s made the move to your area!

Matt’s spent close to twenty years playing the guitar and electric bass, and he’s been playing the stand-up bass for nearly a decade. So if your child is ready to start strumming, Matt’s your guy. He’s a native Italian who studied jazz and music technology at George Mason. And with over a decade of professional teaching experience under his belt, he’s a perfect pick for any prospective guitar student out there.

When he’s not teaching students, Matt keeps busy with his own original music project, a power-pop, power-trio called Classified Frequency. To check out what his band’s been up to, just visit Classifiedfrequency.com. And to learn even more about Matt’s passion for music and his energetic teaching style, make sure you stop by his B&B profile.

Jonathan S. Blues Guitar

Meet Jonathan, King of the Blues

Look out B. B. King. B&B officially has its very own resident “King of the Blues.” Jonathan Sloane is not only B&B’s newest all-star instructor, but he’s also winner of the Guitar Center’s 2011 Washington regional “King of the Blues” competition. And as a guitar instructor well-versed on teaching students how to read music notation, build chords, play scales, and learn rock and blues progressions, we couldn’t have asked for a better addition to the B&B team!

But if you think Jonathan’s only into Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, think again. He’s also plays lead guitar for Yellow Dubmarine, a reggae/dub Beatles tribute band that’s toured extensively throughout Canada and the U.S. The group, which also includes B&B’s own Robbie Cooper on drums, has even opened for the Wailers, Burning Spear, and Sonny Landreth. The band recently released their first recorded album, “Abbey Dub,” an imaginative interpretation of the Beatle’s classic, “Abbey Road.” To hear a few tracks from the album, check out their Web site: http://yellowdubmarine.com/

And then, be sure to take a look at Jonathan’s B&B teacher’s profile to see all of the other cool projects he’s been working on. If you’ve been thinking about guitar lessons for your child, he may just be the perfect teacher for you. After all, who better to teach students how to play guitar than the king?

A Charlie Brown Christmas with the Eric Byrd Trio

The Eric Byrd Trio will be performing the music of Vince Guaraldi this Christmas season.  The jazz trio will perform your favorite Charlie Brown classics once again at venues such as the Carroll County Arts Council and Blackrock Center For the Arts.  The Washington Post recommended this as one of the top twenty events to attend this winter!

You can buy the Charlie Brown Christmas CD on CD Baby at this link.